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Verga L, D'Este G, Cassani S, Leitner C, Kotz SA, Ferini-Strambi L, Galbiati A. Sleeping with time in mind? A literature review and a proposal for a screening questionnaire on self-awakening. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283221. [PMID: 36952462 PMCID: PMC10035927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Some people report being able to spontaneously "time" the end of their sleep. This ability to self-awaken challenges the idea of sleep as a passive cognitive state. Yet, current evidence on this phenomenon is limited, partly because of the varied definitions of self-awakening and experimental approaches used to study it. Here, we provide a review of the literature on self-awakening. Our aim is to i) contextualise the phenomenon, ii) propose an operating definition, and iii) summarise the scientific approaches used so far. The literature review identified 17 studies on self-awakening. Most of them adopted an objective sleep evaluation (76%), targeted nocturnal sleep (76%), and used a single criterion to define the success of awakening (82%); for most studies, this corresponded to awakening occurring in a time window of 30 minutes around the expected awakening time. Out of 715 total participants, 125 (17%) reported to be self-awakeners, with an average age of 23.24 years and a slight predominance of males compared to females. These results reveal self-awakening as a relatively rare phenomenon. To facilitate the study of self-awakening, and based on the results of the literature review, we propose a quick paper-and-pencil screening questionnaire for self-awakeners and provide an initial validation for it. Taken together, the combined results of the literature review and the proposed questionnaire help in characterising a theoretical framework for self-awakenings, while providing a useful tool and empirical suggestions for future experimental studies, which should ideally employ objective measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Verga
- Research Group Comparative Bioacoustics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Giada D'Este
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Cassani
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Leitner
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Luigi Ferini-Strambi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Galbiati
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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HILDITCH CJ, DORRIAN J, BANKS S. Time to wake up: reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia. INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2016; 54:528-541. [PMID: 27193071 PMCID: PMC5136610 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2015-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sleep inertia is the period of impaired performance and grogginess experienced after waking. This period of impairment is of concern to workers who are on-call, or nap during work hours, and need to perform safety-critical tasks soon after waking. While several studies have investigated the best sleep timing and length to minimise sleep inertia effects, few have focused on countermeasures -especially those that can be implemented after waking (i.e. reactive countermeasures). This structured review summarises current literature on reactive countermeasures to sleep inertia such as caffeine, light, and temperature and discusses evidence for the effectiveness and operational viability of each approach. Current literature does not provide a convincing evidence-base for a reactive countermeasure. Caffeine is perhaps the best option, although it is most effective when administered prior to sleep and is therefore not strictly reactive. Investigations into light and temperature have found promising results for improving subjective alertness; further research is needed to determine whether these countermeasures can also attenuate performance impairment. Future research in this area would benefit from study design features highlighted in this review. In the meantime, it is recommended that proactive sleep inertia countermeasures are used, and that safety-critical tasks are avoided immediately after waking.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jillian DORRIAN
- Centre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia, Australia
| | - Siobhan BANKS
- Centre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia, Australia
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